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This entry was posted on Sunday, August 31st, 2014 at 7:46 am and is filed under NZ Politics.
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The point is that it is up to us to decide what matters. It is not for the media or blogs to decide. Claims (like that on TV One news last night) that a campaign has been “derailed” may be wishful thinking. But they are not news. And neither can they be proved. So fuck off, MSM.

They are not some irrelevant side show of little consequence to New Zealanders.

In order to ensure ‘open, transparent and democratically accountable’ central and local government – this ‘dirty and despicable’ National Government, led by John Key with his politically cancerous ‘Wall Street’ ways, must be surgically removed by the voting public who want our DECENT New Zealand back.

Time for a land slide political DUMPING of this National Government so they can purge themselves of the ‘dirty and despicable’ within their ranks – starting from the top.

I didn’t realise Hide was quite that thick. If the result didn’t matter to them, why is this blog and other right wing blogs continually trying to undermine Labour and other parties they see as a threat? If the result didn’t matter, there would be no need for Dirty Politics.

One further point which is beyond Rodney’s comprehension. This election is about who is fit to govern. It is clear that with Judith Collins and John Key covertly liaising with Cameron Slater, giving him access to privileged info, and then lying about their behaviour, that National isn’t fit to govern. I doubt they are fit to clean a toilet.

“They are not some irrelevant side show of little consequence to New Zealanders.”

Quite. National’s own polling would have told its brains trust that Collins had to go. So Collins, despite behaving badly over many months, only got the sack because she was hurting National’s chances of retaining power. That tells me that John Key is weak – and a serial liar. Apparently Rodney thinks that is what our PM should look like.

How can the electorate make an informed decision if they are not aware of the ethics of the people they are voting for?

Yes, it is a competition – but I believe one that most New Zealanders want to be decided by a fair process.
At the moment the scores are pretty even demonstrating the weaknesses of both sides, who have used shonky tactics.

Whether that balance will be tipped with more revelations or not is yet to be seen. But if there are, these are things that the electorate deserves to know, in order to make an informed decision based on reality – rather than some hyperbole about policy – each that should start with ‘once upon a time’… because they very seldom give an adequate representation of what will happen if implemented for all New Zealanders.

One of the German criminal’s Mercedes Cars, with his number plate, was cruising Mt Maunganui earlier this morning.
I could not see if the Crim was the person in the passenger seat.
Touting for business ?

” How can the electorate make an informed decision if they are not aware of the ethics of the people they are voting for? ”

Maybe for that to happen we’d have get Hager to write books about the Labour and the Greens. He still has access to a lot of information as the hacker got much more from Slater’s computer than has been used. Slater has publically said he has been in contact with all parties including Labour and the Greens.

The last 48 hours have seen the election completely turned on its head. To quote Ron Ziegler (Nixon’s press secretary) “All previous statements are non-operative”.

I can see two things coming out of this:

The first is a very inconclusive election. National will take a massive hit from this, since the next three weeks are not going to be about policy, it will all be about politics. Where National’s votes go will be very important. I can’t see many going to Labour: possibly NZ First, possibly the Conservatives, but quite a few may simply not vote. The most likely result is the National Party will be the largest party, but John Key’s reputation will be much reduced and will unlikely have the moral authority to continue as PM. While I have yet to see any concrete evidence linking him personally to any inappropriate behaviour, it is a case of the “buck stopping here”. The alternatives, depending on the final result, could be either a National/NZ First government, with someone other than John Key (or Judith Collins) as leader: Bill English as PM can’t be ruled out. Winston might even have the gall to demand that he be PM, on the grounds that on-one in National has the moral authority. The other alternative is a Labour/GIMP coalition.

But all of this will probably pale into insignificance due to the second result; the wide-ranging Royal Commission that is going to inevitably be established. It’s precise terms of reference probably aren’t that important, since once it starts digging, who knows what sort of shit it will find. The Costigan Royal Commission in Australia is the prime example: it was supposed to be into corruption on the Melbourne waterfront, and ended up exposing the illegal activities in the Perth crown’s solicitor’s office (and had a large negative effect on the Liberal party leading up to the 1983 federal election).

My reading of the SST’s report on the Slater/Odgers e-mails is that once Cathy Odgers realized the contents of the emails that Rawshark had, she sent the “smoking gun” to the Beehive. Did anyone else see it that way?

BTW: is the Cactus Kate blog still operating? Couldn’t find it this morning.

No, for that to happen we need a Royal Commission of Inquiry, to not just look at the current matters, but also, as you indicate, past matters. Such a commission should also produce recommendations, and perhaps something like a code of conduct.

There needs to be strict guidelines so that the electorate can have confidence. How does someone on ACC, for example, have confidence in Government where one of the Minister leaks names and information to an untrained, undisciplined blogger to twist and use against private people. It creates an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty – that at any point they could become a target, if they dared to complain and fall within that Ministers radar.

Re how the PM’s office became aware of the email is central to this. If the PM or his senior aides really did know nothing prior to the email arriving then Key isn’t in the worst position. If it links to his office then politically he’s in trouble. My hunch is that Cathy Odgers is candidate as the person who forwarded the message to the PM’s staff.

What is critical overall is the involvement of Hotchin. If he was deeply involved then there would have to be a full investigation into whether or not there was a plot to interfere in an SFO investigation. That is serious and would have to involve the Police.

Overall the plot by Slater and friends was clumsy and Slater did a lousy job of covering his tracks. His actions have already cost Collins her job.

We want the real game. That’s what we sat down for. Nicky Hager, Cameron Slater and Kim Dotcom are the ball boys in this election. They aren’t the game.

I agree that Nicky Hager and Cameron Slater are sideshows to the election

But not Kim Dotcom, purchasing a political party and engaging in criminal activity to sway an election result, undermines the whole essence of what it means to be a democracy.
Without trust in the system, nothing else in this election matters.

In the words of Dr Who “What’s the question?” On the surface it looks like dirty politics but what’s the bigger picture? Who benefits from de-stabilising the NZ government? KDC and his vendetta are side issues made large by an easily manipulated media. If the Nats lose and a Labour/Green government is formed do you really think the scandals will stop?

We are strategically located with much talked about potential oil and gas, here and in Antarctica. We are “friends” with China and the US, and John Key holidayed with the Queen. We are seeking a place on the Security Council.

In other words, we’ve stuck our head above the parapet. So who’s shooting at us???

This whole Feeley thing arose from his self-aggrandised celebration office party following the laying of charges over Bridgecorp etc. (or was it guilty verdicts/conviction?). The champagne thing arose because someone in the SFO tipped off the media.

It was the Herald that went to Slater… not the other way around.

The issue, once again is media created, media blown, and media driven. Q + A this morning was a prime example. With only six present, they could not accurately quote what other panellists had said. And they expect us to take them seriously?

Judith…..

The very last thing needed is a legal fest in the form of a Royal Commission.

The media would find that to be their worst nightmare as it would expose appalling double standards in the MSM. It would, for example, cut right back to the pernicious habit of the electronic media (in particular), to edit and to manipulate sound/picture bights to follow a pre-determined narrative.

The real issue here is the media revolution.
When Clark and her lesbian sidekick, H2 Simpson, torpedoed Doone (The Commissioner of Police, no less), that was acceptable to the MSM. It was fine. The (Clark) phone calls and private office chats on that are legendary. All of that would be exposed.

Moreover, back then bloggers were not the force for good or bad (perception according to personal views) that they are today. There was no Facebook, no Twitter. They are placing the traditional MSM under great financial pressure.

And all those matters of ethics will be overshadowed by the exposure of “the hacker”. Given the powers of a Royal Commission, fleeing the country might be the only protection because extradition treaties to not extend to RC subpoenas.

Now Stuff claims to have interviewed the criminal hacker who fed Hager the Horrible. And Stuff has labelled the criminal “rawshark”.

What a pantomime. Hager feels morally justified in lying himself blind about his source – to protect that source. The MSM play along and even get up on stage and into the acting.

The criminal at the source of this is in, or has been in, or has been otherwise associated with the GCSB. The more people say this, the more frightened the criminal gets and the more fanciful false trails the Hager lager feeds the fawning MSM.

The criminal hack that fed that dealer in stolen material, Hager the Horrible, follows the pattern of the inside break-ins overseas – Manning, Snowden etc. Maybe the criminal hacker will take Hager into exile with him in Belarus. May the fuckers die of frost bite.

Viking. ..there certainly are a lot of fresh names here over the past 48 hours…not necessarily a bad thing…just maybe some of them will note with wonder that they can pretty much say what they like and not get banned…one or two might have the kind of Road to Damascus experience I had when I found my self in East Berlin by mistake…but then found getting out again wasnt so easy. ..

To use the rugby analogy – we need a level playing field – where the players fight hard, but fight fair and fight clean.

Where it is not about winning at all costs – but how you play the game.

Penny Bright

Does this “level playing field” you’re talking about include sanctions on those who wilfully deface their opponents’ hoardings Penny, thereby denying those opponents of their right to freedom of speech and freedom of expression, or is that “how you play the game”?

“Now Stuff claims to have interviewed the criminal hacker who fed Hager the Horrible. And Stuff has labelled the criminal “rawshark”……What a pantomime. Hager feels morally justified in lying himself blind about his source – to protect that source. The MSM play along and even get up on stage and into the acting……The criminal at the source of this is in, or has been in, or has been otherwise associated with the GCSB. The more people say this, the more frightened the criminal gets and the more fanciful false trails the Hager lager feeds the fawning MSM…..The criminal hack that fed that dealer in stolen material, Hager the Horrible, follows the pattern of the inside break-ins overseas – Manning, Snowden etc. Maybe the criminal hacker will take Hager into exile with him in Belarus. May the fuckers die of frost bite.”

Complete irony bypass here Jack5. Hager exposed Slater’s and the National Party’s manipulation of the media, not to mention the interference in the NP’s own internal processes. And ministerial attacks on civil servants sponsored by Slater. Now that it’s out and the open you seem to want a change of rules.

Someone later in this thread commented on abusive posts with ad hominem attacks. I now see what they mean.

“But whatever the result Kim Dotcom will still be facing extradition,”

Rubbish. If the hard left get in, Minister of Justice Norman will be only too happy to veto the courts finding if it decides the extradition should proceed. And the work to rule by the glacial legal system will have paid off.

THE MAN BEHIND the Iwi-Kiwi billboards that very nearly won the 2005 election for Don Brash and the National Party has confirmed his involvement in businessman John Third’s and former Act MP Owen Jennings’ campaign to drive down the Greens vote in the run-up to 20 September.

In a comment sent to Chris Trotter’s blog, Bowalley Road, Mr Ansell states:

Chris, well spotted.

A big, bold campaign is required and justified to counterbalance the hundreds of thousands of dollars of free advertising being provided by the media to Nicky Hager’s attempt to gull the gullible into believing that the right play dirtier than the left.

As someone who has been involved in three ad campaigns for Labour, one for National and two for ACT, as you know, compared with Labour (they who stole the 2005 election then retrospectively legislated their theft), National are the gentlemen of the political spectrum – they just don’t have a Dotcom hacking their every conversation or a Hager receiving the stolen property and writing shock, horror stories about them.

And no, the Labour means Greens campaign is not being done for National or any other party.

I, for one, am disillusioned by all the right wing offerings at the moment. I left Key’s office when it became obvious to me that his motivation was self and party before country. I left ACT twice because they refused to grasp the nettles necessary for victory. And I don’t like the Conservatives’ intolerance of gays and such (though I do like Craig’s policy of a binding referendum on race-based seats).

So I don’t know who I’m going to vote for. But I shudder at the potential destructiveness of a Cunliffe cabinet that’s 30% Green.

And that’s what Labour means Greens is all about, Chris: to jolt what we call “the tradies and the ladies” awake to the frightening new political reality on the left: that a Cunliffe government is still very possible, and that it would be hugely damaging to the New Zealand way of life through no particular fault of Labour’s.

On current polling, Cunliffe is going to have no choice but to appoint five to seven Green cabinet ministers, some of them to very senior and influential positions.

(And, God help us, possibly even some of the Hone Harawiras, Annette Sykeses, Laila Harres and John Mintos from the even loonier left.)

I think you’ll find the main driver of the campaign, John Third, will be as open and honest about it as I’m being. He doesn’t mind if I talk about it, since we’ve got nothing to hide.

This is just a bunch of concerned Kiwis, none motivated by any party connections as far as I know, wishing to inform our countrymen and women of the true nature (no pun intended) of the not-so-cuddly Greens.

In the contest of ideas, I think you’ll agree, that’s perfectly legitimate.

To expand on those two target markets:

The “tradies” were brought up to believe in the class struggle. But they also believe Labour’s been taken over by what one of them colourfully referred to in my local the other day as “the feminazis and pillow-biters”.

In their socially conservative eyes, by comparison with the latter, a guy like John Key represents the voice of sanity. But their tribalism runs deep and they could vote either way. Especially if, in the Kiwi tradition of fairness, they reckon “it’s time we gave the other lot a go”.

We’re going to ask them not to – by showing them what that would mean for them, their family, and their country.

We’re going to boldly apprise them of the fact that, while they weren’t looking – distracted by the media beat-up over Hager the Horrible’s book – the left just got a whole lot lefter and redder (the Greens being nothing if not deepest red).

These sparkies and plumbers and builders are practical blokes who cut to the chase and come with very large dollops of common sense. They spend their days solving problems calmly and rationally. Then they go hunting and fishing.

And if there’s one group they can’t abide, it’s those knee-jerk enviro-panickers and exaggerators from the Green party who want to ban all forms of fun, for reasons which they haven’t properly thought through.

The “ladies” are the ladies of the Remuera Garden Circle and the like who believe it would be nice to have the planet represented in the corridors of power. They’d rather be out weeding their gardens than inside studying the communist infiltration of Greenpeace, so still believe the Greens are who they say they are.

They’ll be shocked to learn the truth, and we plan to do the shocking: informing them that the Greens’ love for the environment comes a very poor second to their desire to kneecap capitalism and put people last.

So far I’ve done about fifteen billboards which you’ll be seeing over the next three weeks. Any questions, just ask and I’ll do my best to answer in full.

Have to agree with Hide – For me its all about policy, and there has been very little discussion about policies that actually matter to me this time around. Like others I am seriously contemplating giving my party vote to the Conservatives despite a few of Colin Craig’s ill conceived utterances

One of the rowing eight has managed to hit a crab and it appears she has been ejected from the boat. Cox Key has been seen still head above the water but steering erratically heading towards an old clinker 27 foot Montague whaler that has been slowly making circular ground waves on an island bereft of their own devices. The tillarman looks half pooned.

Colin Craig NZ Conservative made a bad mistake hitting Epsom with Christine and taking on Murray in the East Coast.
This is Murray’s call, its may be a gamblers call; but if we see our New Zealand in the hands of Socialists, Communists and outright criminals, hell will break loose.

“This is Murray’s call, its may be a gamblers call; but if we see our New Zealand in the hands of Socialists, Communists and outright criminals, hell will break loose.”

NZ loses either way as both parties are socialist progressives taking us nowhere but closer to the UN. The tragedy would be a National/Winston First/Maori Party/David Seymour on his own coalition. No chance of reform there. A bigger disaster for NZ is a Labour/Greens/NZ First coalition as they would nationalise charter schools and reverse anything National has done so we start again.

The positives are that Colin Craig is in for the long haul and is making progress toward the goal of getting into government in numbers despite the blogosphere, right and the media doing their utmost to head him off. New Zealand democracy via subtle undercover corruption is alive and well.